Vietnam's Digital Arrival Card: What to Do Before You Land

Vietnam's immigration process has quietly shifted. As of 15 April 2026, foreign travelers arriving at Ho Chi Minh City's Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) are required to complete a Digital Arrival Card before landing — a free, online declaration that replaces the paper form many travelers once filled out on the plane. The system is a pilot, currently mandatory only at SGN, but expansion to other international entry points is widely expected. For now, if your flight lands at Tan Son Nhat, this applies to you. The form takes under ten minutes. The confusion — and the risk of delay — comes from not knowing it exists.

What the Digital Arrival Card Actually Is

The Vietnam Digital Arrival Card is an online pre-arrival immigration declaration operated by the Vietnam Immigration Department. It collects the same information that used to appear on the paper NA1 arrival card — passport details, visa type, flight number, first-night address — and converts that data into a QR code that immigration officers scan when you reach the counter.

This is not a visa. It does not replace your e-visa, visa-on-arrival approval letter, visa exemption, temporary residence card, or any other legal permission to enter Vietnam. Think of it as the digital version of the form you used to fill out with a borrowed pen at 30,000 feet. The underlying requirement — to declare your entry information — has not changed. The method has.

The system is free. The official portal is prearrival.immigration.gov.vn. Any website charging a fee to complete this form on your behalf is an unofficial intermediary. Several such sites exist, charging USD 20–30 for a service the government provides at no cost.

Who Must Complete It — and Who Is Exempt

As of early June 2026, the Digital Arrival Card is mandatory for most foreign passport holders arriving at SGN. This includes travelers entering on e-visas, visa-on-arrival approvals, visa-free entry (both unilateral and bilateral exemptions), work visas, student visas, temporary residence cards, permanent residence cards, and five-year visa exemption certificates.

Three categories are currently exempt at SGN: Vietnamese passport holders, holders of diplomatic passports, and transit passengers who do not formally clear immigration.

The partial rollout is a significant source of confusion. Travelers arriving at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport (HAN) or Da Nang International Airport (DAD) are not yet required to complete the digital card. Paper arrival procedures remain in place at those entry points. If you are flying into Hanoi or Da Nang, monitor official updates before your trip — but as of now, the digital requirement does not apply.

When and How to Complete the Form

The submission window opens exactly 72 hours before your scheduled arrival in Vietnam. You cannot submit earlier. The system will not accept entries outside that three-day window.

Practical advice from early users: complete the form 24 to 48 hours before your departure, once your flight and accommodation are confirmed. This gives you time to resolve any technical issues without the pressure of an imminent boarding call.

What you will need

Before opening the form at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn, have the following ready:

• Passport (number, issuing country, expiry date, bio page for optional upload)
• Visa or entry basis details (e-visa number, visa-exempt nationality confirmation, or TRC number)
• Airline name and flight number
• First-night accommodation name and full address in Vietnam
• Intended departure date from Vietnam
• A working email address and mobile number

The four steps

The form moves through four stages. First, personal and passport information — name, date of birth, nationality, passport details, contact information. Second, visa or entry basis — you select from a drop-down (e-visa, visa-on-arrival, visa exemption, TRC, and others) and enter the relevant reference number. Third, travel details — your boarding country, purpose of visit, airline, flight number, port of entry, and first-night address. Fourth, verification — you review a summary, submit, receive a six-digit OTP by email, enter it to confirm, and the system generates a QR code in a downloadable PDF.

The entire process takes approximately five to ten minutes.

What to carry on arrival

Save the QR code confirmation on your phone — a screenshot and the PDF. Print a paper copy as backup. Battery failure and screen-scanning difficulties are real friction points at busy counters. At the SGN immigration desk, the officer scans your QR code, retrieves your pre-arrival data, and proceeds with the standard passport check and entry stamp.

Costs, Scams, and the Official Portal

The Digital Arrival Card is free. There are no government fees at any stage.

Multiple third-party websites have been designed to resemble the official portal. Some appear in paid search results. They charge USD 20–30 to complete a form that takes ten minutes and costs nothing on the government site. Travel specialists and content creators covering Vietnam entry requirements have flagged these sites consistently since the April 2026 launch.

Navigate directly to prearrival.immigration.gov.vn. Do not use search engine results or advertisements that lead to similar-looking domains. The official site operates in English and Vietnamese.

Early users have reported occasional slow loading and session time-outs, likely reflecting initial server demand. If the site is unresponsive, try again after a short interval rather than turning to a third-party alternative.

What to Expect as the System Expands

Vietnam's Digital Arrival Card follows a pattern established by Singapore's SG Arrival Card and Thailand's digital TM.6 — a regional shift toward pre-arrival data collection that reduces paper handling and speeds up immigration queues. SGN has historically experienced congestion at peak hours, particularly on high-volume routes from other Asian hubs. Pre-filled data is expected to reduce processing time per traveler once the system reaches full adoption.

The current SGN pilot is designed to surface technical and operational issues before nationwide deployment. No official English-language announcement has confirmed a specific expansion timeline to Noi Bai or Da Nang. Travelers should re-check entry requirements shortly before any trip to Vietnam, regardless of entry point, as the rules governing this pilot may be updated with limited advance notice.

Tour operators and visa services have begun incorporating the Digital Arrival Card into their pre-departure checklists. Some airlines serving SGN have added brief notes to pre-departure emails, though this is not yet standard across all carriers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does completing the Digital Arrival Card mean I don't need a visa?

No. The Digital Arrival Card is an immigration declaration, not a visa. You still need an appropriate e-visa, visa-on-arrival approval letter, or visa exemption based on your nationality and purpose of travel. The two processes are entirely separate. Confusion arises because visa-on-arrival information is sometimes discussed alongside arrival card guidance, but completing the card does not grant or replace any entry permission.

Is the Digital Arrival Card required at all Vietnamese airports?

As of early June 2026, the requirement applies only to foreign arrivals at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) in Ho Chi Minh City. Noi Bai in Hanoi and Da Nang International Airport have not yet implemented the digital system. Travelers landing at those airports may still encounter paper arrival procedures. Expansion is expected but has not been formally announced with a confirmed date.

What happens if I forget to complete the form before my flight?

No official contingency procedure has been published. Travel guidance indicates that at SGN, travelers who arrive without a completed card may be directed to complete the form on a smartphone using airport Wi-Fi before rejoining the immigration queue. This creates delays and depends on having a charged device and connectivity. Complete the form before you travel and carry both a digital and printed copy of your QR code.

What address should I enter if I'm moving between cities?

Enter the name and full address of your first night's accommodation in Vietnam. The form asks for a residential address, but immigration expects a first point of stay — not a complete itinerary. If your plans change after submission, the address on file reflects your declaration at the time of entry, which is standard practice across similar systems in the region.

Why is a website asking me to pay for the Digital Arrival Card?

Several unofficial sites mimic the government portal's appearance and charge USD 20–30 to complete the form on your behalf. These are intermediaries, not government services. The Digital Arrival Card is free when completed directly at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn. No paid service is required for travelers who can complete a straightforward web form. Navigate to the official portal directly rather than through search results or advertisements.

Can I complete the form more than 72 hours before arrival?

No. The system only accepts submissions within the 72-hour window before your scheduled arrival. Attempting to submit earlier will not work. The recommended approach is to complete the form 24 to 48 hours before your departure — once your flight and accommodation details are confirmed — to allow time to address any technical issues without urgency.

Do transit passengers at SGN need to complete the card?

No. Passengers transiting through Tan Son Nhat who do not formally clear Vietnamese immigration are exempt from the Digital Arrival Card requirement. The exemption also applies to Vietnamese passport holders and holders of diplomatic passports. All other foreign nationals arriving at SGN and passing through immigration are currently required to complete the form.